


Of Champagne and Princess Carries

by Emery



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Arguing, Champagne, Fluff, Formalwear, M/M, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 11:03:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/621397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emery/pseuds/Emery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fancy dinner parties and formal events are a necessary evil for Sternbild's famous hero duo, but much better than the limousines and red carpets are the quiet evenings that follow in Kotetsu's home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Champagne and Princess Carries

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of a Christmas exchange for my lovely friend Mono-bani! You can find her and her incredible artwork over at mono-bani.tumblr.com or mono-faced.deviantart.com.
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, sweetie!

It was always too late when they got home from those silly events—dinner parties, meet-and-greets, nothing but popularity boosters, really—and no matter what delicious food had been served, which prestigious guests had been invited, and what spacious ballroom or grandiose meeting center had been used, Barnaby and Kotetsu always found themselves glad to leave. Barnaby was much better at keeping up appearances _during_ the events, but afterwards, he was even grumpier than Kotetsu.

The limo rides back to the Apollon Media tower where their cars were parked were usually quiet as the heroic duo tried their best to assimilate themselves back into a peaceful mindset. When they reached the parking garage and began to head their separate ways, all Kotetsu had to do was softly mutter, “My place,” and Barnaby knew exactly what was meant. To many, the suggestion would have been at least vaguely sexual, but to them it meant what was said and nothing more. Something more might happen and it might not, and while it wasn't necessarily a priority for either of them, having it as an option was a delightful thing to mull over in the back of their minds during the silence on the way to Kotetsu’s flat. Barnaby followed him there and parked on the side of the road in his usual place.

Rushing from curbside to Kotetsu’s front door was always more of an ordeal than it should have been, but Barnaby was a celebrity, after all, and it was more obvious now than any other time when he was dressed to the nines in one of his famous red, double-breasted suits and his hair was curled to stunning perfection. Kotetsu went in first, and Barnaby noticed that the old man had at least shed his sports jacket in an effort to look as little like the man who had just been on live television an hour prior as possible.  His mask was gone as well—Barnaby couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable it must be for the other heroes to have to wear their helmets and masks throughout such receptions, but those nights of discomfort were probably worth the cost Barnaby had had to pay for revealing his identity.

At least, on most days, the other heroes were left alone and didn’t have to go so far as to disguise themselves in public on days that they didn’t want to be noticed. Barnaby’s challenges were very different than theirs and, in some ways, more difficult.

Just as usual, the blond let some moments pass before he too stepped from his car and made his way up Kotetsu’s front steps. Not hidden or disguised no, but at least less obvious than ambling up to the front door side by side with his partner. There was a certain amount of discretion to be had, and they were careful to keep it.

Once inside, Barnaby heaved a huge sigh of relief, for he and Kotetsu were finally free of their obligations for the evening. There was no more need to smile, no more need to laugh at unfunny jokes, no need to keep up any sort of personalities except the ones that came naturally and the one that prompted Kotetsu to take Barnaby’s face in both of his hands to pull him into a gentle kiss.

The corners of Barnaby’s own lips curled up into a grin against Kotetsu’s as he rested his forearms on his lover’s shoulders and pressed up against him. That particular kiss remained simple and chaste, but it was clear from the glow in both of their eyes that they were up for more. While their desires were no secret, Kotetsu pulled away after a moment to crack open a new bottle of Barnaby’s favorite champagne, and Barnaby let him. It was an unspoken game they liked to play and one that they played so often, silently teasing the other, allowing their growing frustration to build, exchanging knowing glances and sly grins—

Other couples might have found such a thing infuriating to keep up for more than a few minutes at a time, but to Barnaby and Kotetsu, it was perfect. That was how their relationship had started off, after all, with little arguments and tiny frustration after tiny frustration, with pet peeves and annoyances, with verbal battles of wit that Barnaby had always won. While similar in some ways, their newer and more intimate game was indeed different, and it allowed Kotetsu to be the victor more often than not. At first, Barnaby had found himself irritated by this, but now he actually _enjoyed_ it when Kotetsu came out on top on occasion. It was pleasantly surprising how much Barnaby liked seeing the cocky smirk on Kotetsu’s lips when he one-upped his Bunny or the proud way he crossed his arms over his chest like some sort of final declaration that he was the best for the evening. If it made him so happy to think that, Barnaby would let him. It was cute, at least.

“Haven’t had enough champagne for the night, have you?” Kotetsu asked as he removed two flutes from the kitchen and brought them into the living room where Barnaby had seated himself on the couch.

“I haven’t had any _good_ champagne at all.”

Kotetsu chuckled to himself and filled the glasses. “Two it is then.” Barnaby’s pickiness had been another thing about the blond that had been difficult to become accustomed to, but Barnaby’s surprised happiness when Kotetsu had started to learn all of his favorite things had made the effort worth it. Anything to put a smile on that man’s face was a huge accomplishment, and everyone knew that. Kotetsu knew for a fact that he was one of the few, if not the only person to see Barnaby smile genuinely on a regular basis. That smile was so much better than the ones he flashed for cameras and interviews. It was real, heartwarming, handsome and precious, and it had quickly become one of the most beautiful and treasured things in Kotetsu’s life.

One such smile greeted him when he put the champagne glass in Barnaby’s hand, and though Barnaby was obviously tired, the content expression pulling at his lips shone no less brightly. “Thank you.”

Kotetsu let himself fall onto the couch as well, barely taking care not to spill his champagne, and inclined his head towards Barnaby’s evening wear. “You can change out of that suit, you know. Can’t be comfortable.”

In reply, Barnaby raised his eyebrows and grimaced. “I’d love to, but I don’t exactly have anything to change into.”

“Exactly.” Kotetsu grinned mischievously and raised his glass before taking a long drink and sprawling himself across the couch.

Barnaby wasn’t sure whether to scold Kotetsu or laugh, but seeing as he was in no mood to even think of a suitable response, he settled with the latter and a small, “You’re impossible,” under his breath. Regardless, a few minutes later found Barnaby’s jacket discarded over the side of the couch, his shoes kicked off, and dress shirt untucked. Kotetsu had done the same upon coming home and had already looked like a tired, disheveled mess when Barnaby had walked in the door.

The silence as they drank their champagne was all-enveloping and nothing short of perfect, exactly what they needed after such a long night of trite conversation and forced smiles. Neither of them were sure when it happened, but at some point during their second or third glass, Kotetsu realized that Barnaby was leaning against him with his feet tucked up beneath his legs. The veteran hero hummed and let himself focus on the warmth of Barnaby’s body against his own, let his nose fall to the top of Barnaby’s head to smell the scent of his expensive shampoos, slid his fingers through a few of those perfect curls. Barnaby sighed in contentment and sipped at his champagne as a light blush rose to his cheeks and he nuzzled his face down into Kotetsu’s chest. When a strong arm draped around his shoulders and pulled him even closer than he had been, Barnaby knew he was in Heaven.

So many nights they passed this way, in the calm serenity they couldn’t get during the day. Of course their call bracelets were still strapped securely around their wrists, and of course they could receive a call any time. Unlike them, criminals didn’t work around the schedule of prime-time television. But that didn’t matter, because it was the little moments that were savored most, and the rarity of such moments only made them that much sweeter.

“I love you,” Kotetsu whispered. The words caressed and curled around Barnaby’s ear like the sweetest of warm breezes, and he felt Kotetsu’s fingers barely brush against the sensitive skin of his neck as they continued to brush through his curls.

Barnaby hummed something in response that was likely a, “I love you, too,” and closed his eyes. The warmth of his emotion and light feeling that came with the alcohol made his eyelids feel heavy as lead, and he couldn’t bring them to open again that evening.

When at last he opened them again, he was somewhere different, surrounded by the warmth of blankets, hot skin pressed against his back, and a muscled arm draped loosely over him. Bed? What time was it? Where were his glasses and what happened to his shirt? Had he really gone to bed still wearing his dress slacks? He couldn’t imagine how wrinkled they would be—

Kotetsu felt Barnaby’s movement in the bed and muttered, “’S okay, Bunny. I’m here.” His voice was low and hoarse with disuse. It seemed that he had just woken up as well.

“I _know_ you’re here, old man, but where—“

One of Kotetsu’s palms lay against Barnaby’s cheek and forcefully guided the blond’s face towards him as he sealed his lips around Barnaby’s in a silencing kiss. All at once, that seemed to calm Barnaby’s minor spurt of panic, and after a few seconds of lips moving together and tongues flicking and teasing one another, there was calm once again.

“It was already enough that I had to carry you like a little princess up the stairs, so don’t go making a fuss.”

_Like a princess?_

“If anyone’s the princess here, it’s you, old man, and don’t you forget it.”

“I think that’s debatable.”

“Not really.”

And so they bantered, just as they always did, even in the wee hours of the morning. That was simply how they worked, and while not obvious to those on the outside of their relationship, the love exchanged even in such arguments was plain as day to Kotetsu and Barnaby. As long as they could see it for themselves, and as long as that passion remained heavy and tangible in their hearts, what did it matter how others interpreted them?

“Go to sleep, little Princess,” Kotetsu cooed.

Barnaby was incredulous. “I’m not a princess, my name is Bun—My name is Barnaby!”

“I’m not a princess, I’m a bunny!”

“Cut that out, old man!”

No one only hearing the argument would have had any idea that sweet caresses and playful kisses were being exchanged between every sentence, and no one would have guessed that it was a forceful kiss from Barnaby and a nimble hand undoing Kotetsu’s pants button that finally silenced the both of them for the remainder of the evening.


End file.
